Are you on the lookout for the most poppin’ Most Fun Bars in Des Moines?
Then we have you covered!
On this page, you’ll find the official shortlist of the best Most Fun Bars in Des Moines. (More in-depth further below)
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Many of us on the Nightflow crew are foodies, so we’re always looking for the most popular places to eat whenever we go somewhere new. Expect to taste the greatest flavors in Des Moines at places like El Bait Shop, Up-Down DSM, and The High Life Lounge, among others. We have prepared a great list below for you to find your favorite most fun bars in Des Moines. Have fun!
The Bartender’s Handshake
The Bartenders Handshake is a cozy cocktail bar on Ingersoll offers inventive drinks and vegan-friendly food, including hummus, veggie dogs, and mushroom and farro soup. The authentic lure is their astroturf patio, which includes lawn chairs, heaters in the winter months, and firepits ideal for toasting S’mores. Take this: Aperol Spritz – Aperol, sparkling wine, soda, and orange peel. Bartender’s Handshake is a neighborhood bar where everyone is welcome. We serve craft and classic cocktails, highballs and lowballs, and a playfully curated beer and wine list. Additionally, we offer elevated bar snacks worth making a meal out of. We came here after dinner tonight and liked it! Awesome tiny hipster cocktail bar on Ingersoll. Craft drinks, a chill atmosphere, and excellent service.
We saw they had old games for guests to play in some of the cabinets, which I thought was intriguing. The drink selections were fantastic; obviously, they had a full bar. I’d recommend doing the “We’ll take it from here” where they ask you a few questions (or you tell them what your favorite booze is), and they make you a cocktail. The experience was fantastic! They created me something I would return for, but there were just too many components. An intimate and pleasant setting! Music from the 1970s is playing. A selection of unique beverages and nibbles! There was a lot to like on my first visit here. I love a cocktail bar with an exciting drink menu. The staff was polite and helpful with our drinks selection queries. There is very little seating in the neighborhood.
But it does seem like a beautiful experience when you’re sitting and enjoying your time. The vibe test has passed. Des Moines, Iowa’s best cocktails. A true hidden treasure. On an off day, I came here with my brother to test out several bars; this location was a gold mine. The beverages here are fantastic. Staff personnel are kind and chats to you. The patio at the back is designed to look like a garden. Cocktails that are both distinctive and tasty. The Bartender’s Handshake is a great place to stop for a few drinks! The patio is super cute and decked out with vintage patio furniture that makes it feel unique, comfortable, and welcoming. I tried the spiked colada slush and the lake water, which were excellent. They also use vintage glassware for all their drinks which is an excellent touch.
Bellhop Tiki Bar
No matter what time, you may be transported to a tropical paradise at Bellhop Tiki Bar in the East Village, where it is unquestionably 5 o’clock. Think sophisticated tiki with tropical leaf decor, Palm Springs ambiance, and beverages like the Mai Tai, Painkiller, and Mojito. Relax in the heart of the Midwest. Take this: rum, toasted coconut cream, pineapple, orange, and nutmeg. Bellhop is a favorite of mine for happy hour or weekend outings for a tiki classic. Best piña colada I’ve ever had, and the painkiller drink is also phenomenal. The bartenders are incredibly efficient, helpful, and fun! They put exceptional effort into each drink with fresh ingredients, fun adornments, and unique glassware. A spot I love visiting and recommend it to all my friends!
The drinks and atmosphere were great at Bellhop! It is an instant crowd pleaser with elaborate décor and drinks. I was pleasantly surprised by the drink menu as they offered many options outside the regular tiki bar. A MUST in the East Village!A fun and cozy bar that is unique to see at the east village location. My friend and I came in one weekend to try their drinks and were pleasantly surprised with their drink presentation. Not to mention they tasted fantastic. We also ordered from their holiday drink menu, and I am excited to try more of their drinks when visiting in the future. I ordered their coco Chanel, which was a sweet chocolate drink. I’m generally skeptical about chocolate drinks, but this one has a blend of orange, which helped balance out the sweetness.
Since we showed up in the afternoon, no one else was there except us, so we found seating fine. They don’t have booths except for one large booth area. Fun drink options. Great service. Unique atmosphere. What more can anyone want from a bar? You need to check this place out! Highly recommend it! Upon walking in, you have traveled to an island paradise—lots of plants and tropical drinks. A DJ plays island-themed music. The bartenders are hustling away, making delicious fruity cocktails. It was fun to watch them create these treats. These concoctions are served in fun cups from a flamingo to a unicorn, complete with a hand-twisted straw—a nice little bar in the east village. The bartenders are ninjas who make the drinks. Their handwork is unmatched, and the drinks are just as good.
Iowa Taproom
With 99 taps serving Iowa beers solely, this beer-hall type local favorite is the place to get a true sense of Iowa. You won’t be able to try them all at once, but their flights will help you make a dent in that number and encourage you to return. Serve with raised bar nibbles such as Iowa ham balls or breaded tenderloin pieces. Barn Town Neon Hazy IPA is a must-try. Great beer selection! Wow. Food was good also, with decent portions. They are located in a cool area of the city being renovated from previous industrial use. A great gathering place. Loud ambiance, but a good time.Great meal and fun with friends and family. The endless tables and taps will make you want to order seconds and stay for more! The food is excellent, and the menu is very reliable so that everyone will have a great time.
The beer selection is unmatched. Service here is speedy and friendly, and they are happy to help you with any situation. PRO TIP: dinner before 6 pm will be worth it for the wait and lines around the area. Get your food early and stay for the fantastic beer and service! Very cool place! L Haiden (I hope I got her name right) is so personable and fun. This is a great place to visit if you’re from out of town. I had the pork chop, but it was not a five. However, I can’t help but give it a five for the atmosphere, over a hundred local beers, and staff knowledge of different beers, and I left happy. Attentive and fun staff, can’t go wrong here, enjoy! This is a fabulous place to bring out-of-town guests.
If you are interested in craft beers, this is your mecca. They have a considerable number on tap and offer flights. The bartender (at least the one we had) was very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. The lunch menu is reasonably priced, and the burgers are delicious. So many beers! Excellent space inside and super busy, but that’s ok! The food is pretty good – I like that they have many side options like sweet potato and steamed broccoli, not just fries. Had the wings dragon’s breath – yes! Such a strange sauce, though / spicy a bit, and it slightly burned but not painful, but it will make you sweat. Loved it!
El Bait Shop
There are 262 beers on tap. That is not a mistake. El Bait Shop now has the most craft beer assortment west of the Mississippi. It’s a beautiful place to grab a beer before heading to Principal Park for a Chicago Cubs game. Or go next door to the adjoining Miller High Life Lounge, where the beer is more traditional, as are the comfort foods such as bacon-wrapped tater tots and pizza burgers (also available at El Bait). Confluence Gray’s Lake Nessie Scottish Ale is a must-try. I don’t know why we’ve never reviewed the El Bait Shop, but when you frequent an establishment, you forget. El Bait shop has the most extensive beer selection on tap in town, and they also serve up a full-size menu to go with your beer.
The menu is shared by El Bait Shop and the High Life Lounge next door. Therefore you may find unusual/old American dishes like the Liver and Onion (my personal guilty pleasure, gross, I know). Otherwise, foods like the Bacon Wrapped Tots and the Broasted Chicken from the Man vs. Food episode are well worth a try. Service is amiable like they become your friend’s level of friendliness. If you’re not from the Midwest, it might be uncomfortable. There is a small parking lot on site. However, parking might be challenging to find during the summer months when the outside terrace is open. What an amazing find! El Bait Shop is edgy and honest, serving fantastic meals and extraordinary beverages. The staff is knowledgeable and willing to help you navigate the HUGE beer list! The fish tacos are to die for.
The atmosphere is a little divvy, has a lot of chills, and is so fun. If you can’t find a beer you love, you don’t love beer! This place rocks! Great atmosphere and excellent service! I loved the bacon-wrapped Lil smokies for an appetizer! The chili was mighty tasty as well. Chicken salad. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! Holy tappers! An incredible amount of beers on tap. I wish I had more time to experiment on the rails! The server was superb and did not disappoint when recommending beers. Such an excellent spot and would take people back here. An absolute Des Moines iconic spot! I loved this place. Fantastic beer selection, great staff, super friendly patrons. The food was perfect.
Hessen Haus
There’s a lot to think about here, with more than 50 different German beers on tap, including options you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Are you feeling brave? Pass the boot and a drinking game focused on a glass boot filled with two liters of your favorite tap bier. To have a strong foundation, get some soft pretzels and schnitzel first. Hoegaarden Wit. The Hessen Haus perfectly recreates the authentic atmosphere of an old-world German bier hall. The fifty imported German beers on tap, authentic German fare on the menu, and sounds of live music on the stage – including local bands and regional polka – create a lively yet cozy atmosphere where large crowds gather to pass the boot and small groups find themselves making new friends.
I came here for dinner last night. I was very impressed by the wide range of stuff they have on their menu. I started with the straw-cherry lemonade, which was terrific. Very refreshing, and I couldn’t even taste the alcohol I liked. I got the bratwurst basket. I added on a wurst because it was only $3 extra. It was perfect. I wish I would have tried one of the other wursts since they have three types, but I didn’t, so I’ll have to go back and try some more. My friend got the schnitzel which I had never heard of before, and it was excellent! Not what I expected, but I liked it a lot. Overall you should be able to find something you like here. Everything was delicious.
They have a cute medium size bar, grill with authentic German food, and a large selection of beer and ale. Prices are moderate; expect $15 + per person if drinking. Happy hour gets you $4 pints—great staff and very clean. In the year I’ve been in Des Moines, I’ve been here twice, and both times great food, great atmosphere, and excellent service! The bartender this morning, 1/17/21, was awesome! I recommend the Sauerbraten. The pork was delicious, and everything about it was perfect, from the carrots to the subtle sweetness and acidity of the purple cabbage. I love everything about this place: the food, the atmosphere, and the massive selection of German beer. The service I have received over the years has always been positive. I especially love their pretzels. Nothing much to say except that we are so glad we have this establishment.
The Hall
This Valley Junction beer hall has communal seating, large TVs, board games, a fantastic terrace, and 54 beers on tap. They also have four distinct cuisines: German fare, burgers, pub fare, and pizza. Allow the excellent beer (and the good fun) to flow! This is the Peace Tree Blonde Fatale. The Hall is where you may see old friends and create new ones. Where the tables are long, and the talks are even longer. The Kitchen DSM is a cocktail bar and restaurant that serves fresh meals. Where a rebuilt train building serves as both a site and a focal point of discourse. Music is played, games are played, communities connect—and everyone is welcome. Went in on a beautiful Saturday for lunch. We were looking for a patio.
The patio faces North, and they have shades up, so there wasn’t a lot of sun, but lovely nonetheless. This is where you come in, sit down and order on the app. You can order at the bar, and they have tablets you can order from. Then when your food is ready, you grab it. The staff was friendly and polite. The bartenders were helpful and will make suggestions. You can try samples as well. They have around 70 items on tap—several ciders, which is essential to me. I tried cherry fandango; it was so good. There were four food trucks there. My husband ordered a Porker pizza from 515Pi, and I got a chicken sandwich and onion rings from FoodWorks. The onion rings were phenomenal. If you’re ready to get out but concerned about social interaction, this is an excellent place to go—there is limited interaction with staff.
We were there for almost two hours, and no one sat in the dining room; everyone was on the patio. Masks were not required for staff or guests.The bathrooms were clean and had real paper towels. Parking is mainly on the Southside of the building. It’s a noisy environment if the inside is complete. Stop in and enjoy a brew; they’ll have something that you like. Download the app before you go and enjoy. A great place to come hang out, grab a drink, and order some food! We had a small group check it out on a Friday night, and it was maybe half full. There was live music and projector TVs playing football.
Beer Styles Taproom and Gastropub
Beer Styles is a British-style gastropub in West Glen Town Center in West Des Moines, featuring a changing roster of over 100 beers on tap. It’s a terrific spot to grab a beer (or fill a growler) and one of their gourmet pizzas, with a solid mix of local brews and hard-to-find seasonals. The beer list on their website includes a great “real-time keg monitoring” tool that allows you to view what was recently tapped! Drink this: David vs. Goliath Pseudo Sue. You guys! What are you waiting for? I am kicking myself for waiting so long to eat here! The vegan BLT is out of this world, as is the pizza (both toddler approved). The staff is phenomenal, and the place is so cool.
It was pretty quiet when we went (kind of a late lunchtime), which made it easier with a toddler that likes to explore and not sit at the table ever. The staff was more than accommodating, and Chef Eli is a wonder beyond wonders. Thanks for the excellent service, and we can’t wait to come back and try the vegan pepperoni!A fantastic range of beer and whisky. Every draught beer comes in three different sizes and offers flights. The pizza we ordered that day was special, but it should have been on the standard menu; prosciutto, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and a glaze on top. The facility may be utilized for a variety of activities. This restaurant participates in the Happy Cow initiative, which assists vegetarians in finding somewhere to dine.
Wide different varieties of beer are available, ranging from IPAs to stouts. I had a flight of four little beers, all of which were barrel-aged stouts—an excellent assortment. The chicken and waffles and the fish and chips are both delicious. First, the beer selection was great, so we chose this place. They weren’t swamped on a Friday night, which was fine because we had a group with young kids and were glad to get a big table out of the way. The food was pretty good, and the service was good—overall a good experience. The drink menu is fantastic, and the meal is excellent! I got a Lambic beer and had the garlic sausage pizza. Great experience hanging out at the bar. The bar staff here is fun and energetic—excellent service with lots of good conversation and prompt service.
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Conclusion
There’s no lack of meals and fun in the Des Moines region, from must-try bars and restaurants to terrific breakfast spots. But every now and again, you want something a bit different! Central Iowa has something for everyone, whether you desire a unique eating experience or an unusual menu item. If you’re seeking a unique experience, you won’t want to miss Des Moines, Iowa’s offbeat pubs and eateries.
